The present invention relates to electrolytic cell banks for the production of hydrogen and particularly relates to a hydrogen production plant having an electrolytic cell bank for separating water into its constituent gases of hydrogen and oxygen.
Bipolar electrodes were patented in Germany in 1899 by an inventor named Schmidt for use in electrolytic cells intended for an entirely different purpose. He sought pure oxygen. Today we seek impure hydrogen to augment and replace our dwindling supplies of natural gas. Hydrogen in certain regards is an ideal fuel. It burns giving off heat, and its ashes are water vaper. Per pound, hydrogen contains three times as much heat value as does an average petrol-fuel. Also, per pound, hydrogen contains four times as much heat value as do the very best grades of coal. At low pressure and ambient temperature, hydrogen is very diffuse and is not attractive as a fuel. However, at higher pressures and lower temperatures, hydrogen is an attractive fuel, provided "free fuel" power plants are built to produce it. Two things are most required to enable economical production of hydrogen. The first is a truly inexpensive hydrogen production cell-bank requiring no maintenance. The second is an inexpensive method of collecting solar light, converting it to heat at very high temperatures and then using this heat to produce hydrogen gas which can be burned as a fuel at any later time in conventional thermal-electric plants. This invention is directed to the hydrogen production cell-bank.